Wallis

Wallis or Valais is a canton in the southwestern part of Switzerland. To the south, it shares the border with Italy, in the southwest with France. To the north, there are neighboring cantons of Vaud and Bern, to the east cantons of Uri and Ticino. The capital city is Sion. This canton is bilingual, the main official language is French and the second is German. Geographically, it is divided into Oberwallis (German part) and Unterwallis (French part).

The dominant part of the canton is a wide glacial valley of the Rhona River. There are plenty of side valleys that link to the main Rhone valley. There are also glaciers, including the largest one in Europe – the Aletsch Glacier.

The canton´s landscape is rather unique. In Wallis itself, there are about 40 four-thousand-foot peaks and including the highest mountain of Switzerland Dufourspitze in the Monte Rosa Massif. In the picturesque mountain village of Zermatt, you can take a picture of the world-famous “Dragon tooth” Matterhorn

The most important sector of local economy is the production of wine and tourism. Tourists visit Wallis mainly to enjoy winter sports or hiking in summer on numerous high-altitude trails. However, there wellness and wine tasting are more and more popular, too. Importance of agriculture is still growing, and local wineries belong to the best and strongest in Switzerland.